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Iowa CCI’s annual convention isn’t your ordinary shindig.

Two hundred CCI members just like you and me will join us for a day of discussion, action, and a whole heck of a lot of fun.

We’ve been planning for months to bring you the most powerful convention we can. And now, we’re excited to share some of the details with you – so excited that we’re even knocking $10 off the registration fee if you register today or tomorrow using this link:

And, now without further ado…the top three reasons you should register now and join us this Saturday:

1. Four info-packed workshops unveiled

2. We will take action on an issue you care about.

We can’t reveal where we’ll be going, but we can tell you this year’s action is related to our #FireRastetter campaign, which has gotten a huge response from a wide audience of Iowans across the state.

3. We have fun when we’re together

Connect and re-connect with like-minded Iowans and get re-energized in the fight for the Iowa you want to see. The convention is high-energy fun from beginning to end.

And, to make the deal even sweeter…

if you register for the convention today, you are also invited to attend our Friday night kick-off party, 6-9pm, at our Des Moines office (at 2001 Forest Avenue), where you can rub elbows with our four nationally recognized keynote speakers, meet fellow CCI members from across the state, eat good food, and drink home-brewed beer – absolutely free!

We’d love to have you join us this Saturday.

You’ll save $10 only if you use the special link included in this email. I hope you’ll click here now to register for Saturday’s Statewide Convention for only $35, or visit: http://j.mp/2012CCI10dollarsoff.

Help us spread the word – be entered to win a brand new, hot off the (union) press CCI “People First” tshirt>>

Here’s how:

1. Click LIKE or TWEET below or share the link to this page on your Facebook page with why you think people should come.
2. Then be sure to leave a comment on our Facebook page here – that’s how you’ll be entered into the drawing.

Need some more CCI merchandise?

You are in luck because we just got a new shipment in! There are many ways to place an order so don’t worry you can get your gear somehow.

Here are the ways to order:

Call the office at 515-255-0800

Email karilyn@iowacci.org

Or click here for a printable order form which you can mail to the CCI headquarters (2001 Forest Ave. Des Moines, 50311)

Our Bold Vision, Bold Action Statewide Convention is just around the corner.

We’re excited you’ll be joining us!

Below is all the info you need to know to be ready to join in on the fun this Saturday, July 13th.

If you have anymore questions, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 515-282-0484.

Friday Night Kick-off Party: Joining us for the party Friday? We hope so! We’ll gather at the CCI Statewide Headquarters at 2001 Forest Ave. in Des Moines around 6:00 pm for food, fellowship and fun. Catch up with old friends and meet new ones, including our guest speakers!

Registration: Registration, coffee and social hour starts at 8:00 am in the ballroom. The convention will officially begin at 9:00 am and will wrap-up around 4:15 pm.

Directions: The convention will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn at 8600 Northpark Drive in Johnston just north of I-80 on the west side of 86th Street.From I-80:
-Take Exit 129, the NW 86th St. exit toward Camp Dodge.
-Turn north on 86th St.
-Turn left on Northpark Dr.
A map is listed below. If you need further directions call the hotel at (515)270-8890.

Pie Auction: There will be a home-made pie silent auction featuring of some of Iowa CCI’s best bakers. It’s a fun way to help support CCI, so come ready to bid on some truly tasty pies!

What to Wear: If you have a CCI t-shirt, we encourage you to wear it! Also, layers are a good idea as the hotel might be chilly. Wear comfortable shoes you can walk in.

Don’t have a CCI t-shirt, but would like one? We’ll have CCI merchandise to purchase at the convention.

If you’ve got any questions, call us at the office at (515) 282 – 0484.

Get inspired and informed.

We are excited to unveil the four, ok five, dynamic workshops being presented by our great guest speakers.

This year, back by popular demand, you will have the opportunity to attend TWO workshops instead of just one! Rest assured, all the workshops will have one common underlying theme – confronting corporate power.

Moral action in the fight to confront corporate power:

What are some of the direct actions and demonstrations over the past year that stick out most in your mind? Why do you remember those? Together we’ll dig in on our own history of direct action as an organization and look at recent examples of those that utilized the power of personal stories (think the I am the 99% tumbler photos and OccupyourHomesMN). Sally will guide break out group discussions on we can inject our personal stories and more to move hearts and minds and up the level of pressure in our fight to confront corporate power!

Speaker: Sally Kohn — Sharp as a tack, witty, and a tough, speak-truth-to-power commentator, Sally is brave enough to be the progressive voice on Fox News. Yes, Fox News.

Exposing ALEC and other corporate lies:

You’ve probably seen the headlines – people pressure has forced 25 giant corporations to pull out of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). But there’s still more to be done. In this revealing workshop, Lisa will lay out the breadth of their pro-corporate agenda and what that means for our communities and our democracy and discuss what grassroots groups can do to stay on the offense against big-money corporate front groups locally and nationally.

Speaker: Lisa Graves — We wouldn’t know nearly as much as we do about ALEC were it not for Lisa and the Center for Media & Democracy, a leading organization on exposing corporate spin and disinformation over the past 20 years.

The long road to justice: how corporate power feeds on racism:

In this riveting workshop Heather will dig deep on the ties between corporate power and institutionalized racism and how views that we now see as fringe and extreme have actually, and intentionally, come to form the basis for several key economic policies that exist today. She’ll also share some big ideas for what we need to do to reverse this trend with a progressive economy that works for all.

Speaker: Heather McGhee — a forward-thinker with years of experience dismantling racism and envisioning a new economy that works for all, Heather is VP of populist think–tank Demos.

Taking on corporate power in Minnesota – Lessons for Iowa:

From affordable healthcare to factory farming, corporate power is getting in the way. Mark will share hopeful organizing stories from the Minnesota countryside about everyday people standing together to get action on these issues and discuss how we must take on corporate power with racial equity and escalating tactics.

Speaker: Mark Schultz—a long-time powerhouse organizer, Mark is the associate director of the Land Stewardship Project, a CCI ally organization.

“Fire Bruce Rastetter” Strategy Session:

We’ll take this session to dig in and develop strategy for our “Fire Bruce Rastetter” campaign. Rastetter abused his position on the Board of Regents, exploited African refugees and diminished Iowa State’s Ag reputation all for his own personal financial gain. This is our best chance to show that this type of politics is not what we want in Iowa and this is not the future we want for our land grant universities. We want big thinkers in this session, but more importantly members who are willing to play an active role in some way – be it calls, letters to the editors, turnout.

Bruce Rastetter is no stranger to Iowa CCI members. We started fighting his Heartland Pork factory farms in the late 90’s. Since then he has continued to make his big money mark across Iowa, starting and selling ethanol plants under his Hawkeye Renewables, and most recently with his AgriSol effort. His political power has grown too, through hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions to candidates, and millions spent in shadowy political attack groups like the American Future Fund and Team Iowa PAC.

Yesterday we filed a conflict of interest complaint against Rastetter. (Read some of the press coverage of the event here) Now we have compiled a timeline of Rastetter’s involvement in the AgriSol affair and his attempts to use ISU to further the project.

2007: Rastetter donates $1.7 million to ISU

2008: Rastetter begins talks with Tanzanian government

2009: Collaboration between ISU and AgriSol begins

2010: Rastetter is the single biggest donor to the Branstad campaign, giving more than $164,000.

2011:

February 25: Branstad appoints Rastetter to Board of Regents

May 1: Rastetter’s term begins: he should have recused himself from discussions of an ISU partnership with AgriSol at this point.

May 18: Rastetter finances a $13,000 trip for ISU officials to Tanzania

June 14: Des Moines Register publishes AgriSol expose

June 17: Rastetter discloses his financial interest in AgriSol to the public

July: Rastetter elected President Pro Tem of Board of Regents

September 13: Rastetter finally recuses himself from discussions of partnering with ISU — four months after he becomes a Regent.

Take Action

Join hundreds of other Iowans calling on Gov. Branstad to fire Bruce Rastetter — the man unable to separate his role as an Iowa public Regent from his personal financial interest. Click here to read more and add your name.

We fight for justice on the ground with thousands of Iowans every year. Sign up for our weekly newsletter for ways to take action to stop factory farms, clean up Iowa’s water, end racially-biased policing tactics and anti-immigrant legislation, win back Iowa’s Medicaid program, and build the movement for single payer healthcare.

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